Switch

ABSTRACT

A switching device for causing the opening and/or closing of one or more circuits. The device may include (1) pivotal handle, (2) cam, and (3) adjustable post means for adjusting the degree of motion necessary to activate individual switching mechanisms.

United States Patent [151 3,684,844 Wicke et al. [451 Aug. 15, 1972 [54] SWITCH [72] Inventors: Charles H. Wicke, Richmond; [56] References Cited of Tex.

2 903 528 9/1959 Kuhn ..200/38 BA [73] Assigneez Research Englneerlng Company, I

Houston Tex. 3,569,992 3/ 1971 Papa ..200/38 BA Filed; 1970 Primary Examiner-Herman J. Hohauser [21] APP] No; 103,310 Attorney-Robert W. B. Dickerson Related US. Application Data [57] ABSTRACT Continuation-impart of Sen April A switching device for causing the opening and/or 1969, abandonedclosing of one or more circuits. The device may include (l) pivotal handle, (2) cam, and (3) adjustable U-S. Cl- ..200/47 means for degree of neces, [51] Int. Cl. ..H0lh 7/08 Sary to activate individual Switching mechanisms [58] Field of Search ..200/38 BA, 38 B, 38C, 6 B,

200/ 153.19, 47 3 Clainm, 3 Drawing Figures 2 1-' 3 I I 3/ A9 k 33' x /X i 4 J4 3 I, 34 I 45 I J1 y I r 20 46 I 0 I 42 47 T I SWITCH This is a continuation of Pat. application Ser. No. 8l7,420,filed Apr. 18, 1969, and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The uses to which electrical switches are put, are legion. One such area is in connection with the opening and closing of valves, such as those used with reference to the production and/or transportation of petroleum or natural gas products. In this particular area, the prime operation would be to provide the necessary electrical fluidic impulse to (1) actually cause such opening or closing, and (2) to indicate, as by pilot light means, the status of such valve. Additionally, such a switch needs to be weatherproof, capable of adjustment and relatively immune to jar or shock, i.e., a socalled explosion proof" unit. The switch of this invention has prime utility in this latter mentioned area, as well as in numerous others requiring a substantial, compact and efficient switch mechanism.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A shaft extends through a housing, and carries a lever arm at one end and one or more cams at the other. Rotation of such shaft results in the cams activating one or more switches, such as a MICROSWITCH, or a fluidic control valve such as a plunger or lever actuated control valve which may be stacked within the housing. Such switches or valve are positioned by vertical post means having adjustable screw mechanisms for varying the position of such switches. Conduit means, is associated with the housing, and may link the switched to the related circuitry or controlled devices. The rotable lever, together with the cams and adjustable screw means provide at least three separate means for adjusting the sensitivity of the device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an elevation of the housing;

FIG. 2 is a plan view, with the housing cover removed; and

F IG. 3 is vertical section through the switch housing.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The drawings depict a housing having a generally cylindrical base 11 and a cup-like cover portion 12. The cover is interiorly threaded to engage a mating threaded portion of the base, as shown in FIG. 3. The cover further includes opposed pairs of lugs 13 (only one being illustrated) on its upper surface, for engagement of a tool therebetween to permit removal. Base portion 11 has the previously mentioned exteriorly threaded annular lip 14 forming a dished portion 15 therein. Lug 16 extends upwardly of the bottom of said dished portion to receive post means hereinafter described. Additional lugs 17 (only one being shown in FIG. 3) extend upwardly of said dished portion to permit the fixing of switches hereinafter mentioned. The base further includes a vertical recess 18, in communication with said portion 15. This recess forms opposed shoulders 19, 20 for the positioning of a spring, later described. A lug extension 21 is apertured at 22 to receive therethrough a shaft, more fully described hereafter. Said aperture communicates with recess 18. Angled support portions 23, 24 support the housing,

and may be affixed to a valve, valve operator, or the like by means of threaded fasteners not shown.

On one side of base 11, and substantially tangent thereto, is open conduit portion 25 the interior of which communicates with the housing interior for permitting electrical leads to be attached within.

A pair of small switches of the type sometimes referred to as MICROSWITCI-IES are stacked atop each other, and identified by the numerals 26, 27. More than two of these devices may be so stacked, but in this particular arrangement one may be utilized to close a circuit so as to indicate the valve being closed. Obviouslyindicator lamps may be included within such a circuit to provide a visual indication.

Alignment post 28 is a hollow sleeve having one end fitted within a cavity formed centrally of lug 16. A pair of spaced threaded bores extend therethrough to receive screws 29, 30 later described. A cam carrying shaft 31, which may be splined, extends vertically through the major portion of the housing. Cover plate 32 is linked to both post 28 and shaft 31, as well as to switches 26 and 27, the switch and post connections by virtue of screws 33, 34. Screw 34 may extend downwardly through both switches to have its threaded end engage a threaded opening in one of lugs 17, the particular connection not shown. Screw 33 may be substantially shorter, and threadedly engage only a small portion of shaft 28. Combination spacer plate and ad- 30 justment arms 34, are positioned both intermediate the switches 26, 27 as well as intermediate the bottom of the lowermost switch and the top of lugs 17. One end of each of said combination means 34 and 35 is bent to form a vertical ear having a cutout portion to receive a shank portion of adjustment screws 29, 30 which, as previously mentioned engage bores in shaft 28. Each of switches 26, 27 carries a spring biased contact plate 36 having a movable end 37 abutting against an adjacent cam. The structure of switches 26, 27 is old per se, and in and of itself forms no part of this invention. Cams 38, 39 are carried by shaft 31, one above the other, and are angularly opposed so that rotation of shaft 31 in one direction will cause one cam, 38 for example, to depress the contact plate end 37 adjacent thereto, whereas rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction will cause the other cam, 39, to depress its associated contact plate end. Underneath cam 39, and also carried by shaft 31, iscylindrical spacer member 40. Said shaft 31 carries annular disc 41 within recess 18 spaced above the base of said recess. Intermediate said recess base and the lower surface of disc 41, spring 42 encircles bushing 42, which bushings receive said shaft 31. The end of shaft 31 may have a cap 43 affixed thereto. The ends of spring 42 abut against shoulders or lugs 19, 20 in recess 18 to bias shaft 31 toward a neutral position. Lever 44 may be positioned on cap 43, to permit said shaft 31 to be rotated in either direction. Operation of said lever may be manual, or by virtue of some associated apparatus, such as a moving piece of structure having a yoke attachment thereto. The front of each of switches 26, 27 would normally be provided with plurality of contact points of attachment for electrical leads, such as 45, 46, 47, which may be designated as common," open, and closed.

In summation, it may be said that switching mechanisms have long been used to control or indicate in some manner the status of the operation of reciprocating items of equipment, such as valves. Such prior mechanisms have, however, left much to be desired in terms of accuracy, especially with regard to fine adjustment or tuning. in contrast, this device possesses three distinct areas of adjustment. First, lever 44 rotates shaft 31 and in turn opens or closes the desired switch by virtue of cams 38, 39. Proper choosing of the relationship between lever arm length and shaft diameter permits choosing the degree of rotation necessary to permit sufficient compression of contact plate ends 37. This may be termed broad regulation. Second, the angular placement and size of cams 38, 39 is variable, so that the compression of said plate ends 37 also is a function of such cam placement and size. This may be termed intennediate regulation. Third, fine regulation or adjustment is permitted by virtue of screws 29, 30. The switches together, in effect may pivot about screw 34. The adjustment arms of combination means 34, 35 have cutout portions encompassing the shank portion (adjacent the head) of such screws 29, 30. The remaining threaded ends of said screws engage the respective threaded apertures in alignment post 28. Thus, on rotation of one or both of said screws 29, 30, the associated switch will minutely pivot about screw 34, further making the compression of plate ends 37 also a function of said aligning means, i.e., screws 29, 30 post 38 and adjustment arms 34, 35.

Although only a single embodiment has been described, it should be obvious that numerous modifications and uses would be possible by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is intended to be limited only by the following claims, in which I claim:

' l. in a switch control device, the combination of:

a housing; I

a plurality of switches positioned adjacent one another within said housing, each switch being pivotal about and positioned by a first fastener member, which fastener member is connected to said housing, said switches each having activating means integral therewith;

a rotatable shaft positioned substantially within said housing, said shaft having one end extending without said housing;

first switch adjustment means comprised of a plurality of cam devices adjustably and encirclingly fixed tosaid shaft and rotatable therewith, there being at least one of said cam devices positioned on said shaft adjacent each of said switch activating means and in proximity thereto, said cam devices each having a contact portion, said contact portions being so arranged relative to said shaft that incremental rotation of said shaft may cause activation of diverse of said switches at diverse rotational positions of said shaft, said shaft and cam devices in unison, including adjustable positioning means for permitting said cam devices to be positioned on said shaftat substantially any arcuate position relative to said shaft whereby each of said cam device s contact portion may be adjustably positioned through substantially 360 relative to its associated switch;

second switch adjustment means comprising:

a stfixed to sai ho sin a a cut aid switc es a nnector memqxar or e acl i o auiswitches inked to its respective one of said switches by said first fastener member, said connector members also being joined to said post, and said first fastener member passing through apertured portions of each of said switches; and

threaded fasteners adjustably linking said connectors to said post for causing said switches to pivot about said first fastener member and thereby vary the rotational are necessary to be traversed by said cam contact portions in order to contact said switch activating means.

2. The device of claim 1, and including third switch adjustment means comprised of a lever member affixed to said one end of said rotatable shaft.

3. The device of claim 1 and including null return means comprised of:

spring device encompassing said rotatable shaft, said spring device being so arranged relative to said housing and rotatable shaft that said spring device will oppose rotation of said shaft in any direction away form a null point. 

1. In a switch control device, the combination of: a housing; a plurality of switches positioned adjacent one another within said housing, each switch being pivotal about and positioned by a first fastener member, which fastener member is connected to said housing, said switches each having activating means integral therewith; a rotatable shaft positioned substantially within said housing, said shaft having one end extending without said housing; first switch adjustment means comprised of a plurality of cam devices adjustably and encirclingly fixed to said shaft and rotatable therewith, there being at least one of said cam devices positioned on said shaft adjacent each of said switch activating means and in proximity thereto, said cam devices each having a contact portion, said contact portions being so arranged relative to said shaft that incremental rotation of said shaft may cause activation of diverse of said switches at diverse rotational positions of said shaft, said shaft and cam devices in unison, including adjustable positioning means for permitting said cam devices to be positioned on said shaft at substantially any arcuate position relative to said shaft whereby each of said cam devices'' contact portion may be adjustably positioned through substantially 360* relative to its associated switch; second switch adjustment means comprising: a post fixed to said housing adjacent said switches; a connector member for each of said switches linked to its respective one of said switches by said first fastener member, said connector members also being joined to said post, and said first fastener member passing through apertured portions of each of said switches; and threaded fasteners adjustably linking said connectors to said post for causing said switches to pivot about said first fastener member and thereby vary the rotational arc necessary to be traversed by said cam contact portions in order to contact said switch activating means.
 2. The device of claim 1, and including third switch adjustment means comprised of a lever member affixed to said one end of said rotatable shaft.
 3. The device of claim 1 and including null return means comprised of: spring device encompassing said rotatable shaft, said spring device being so arranged relative to said housing and rotatable shaft that said spring device will oppose rotation of said shaft in any direction away form a null point. 